Josh Donaldson vs Edwin Encarnacion: Career Stats Comparison
Edwin Encarnacion has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Edwin Encarnacion played 2005–2020 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Edwin Encarnacion (2005–2020) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Edwin Encarnacion finished with 1,832 hits and 424 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Edwin Encarnacion, with 424 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Edwin Encarnacion's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Edwin Encarnacion's .260.
- Who had more hits? Edwin Encarnacion, with 1,832 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Edwin Encarnacion, with 1,261 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Edwin Encarnacion, with 22,361 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Edwin Encarnacion
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Edwin Encarnacion |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,960 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,040 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,099 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,832 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 370 |
| Triples | Leads: 12 | 10 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 424 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,261 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 903 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,426 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 61 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .261 | .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .350 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .496 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Edwin Encarnacion leads Josh Donaldson 22,361 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,242 PIV per season to 1,228, across 18 seasons to 15. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Edwin Encarnacion — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Edwin Encarnacion leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Edwin Encarnacion. PIV agrees: Edwin Encarnacion grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Edwin Encarnacion (2005–2020) overlapped from 2010 to 2020, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,384 games against 1,960 across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are triples (12 to 10), batting average (.261 to .260), and on-base percentage (.358 to .350). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Edwin Encarnacion struck out more than walked (1,426 to 903).
Josh Donaldson vs Edwin Encarnacion: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Edwin Encarnacion?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Edwin Encarnacion leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Edwin Encarnacion hit more home runs?
- Edwin Encarnacion, with 424 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Edwin Encarnacion's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Edwin Encarnacion's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Edwin Encarnacion, with 1,832 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.